Tony-OH

Nut shot for the ump! Ouch!

I've seen the slider and even the curveball at times be very good, but it's rare for them both to be on along with the changeup. He threw maybe one good curveball in the 3rd and 4th inning and the slider is not getting the depth that it had at some points last year in the minors pre oblique. I don't have statcast data for today, but his stuff looked pretty flat and he kept throwing in the middle of the plate with that crap slider and that's not good. My guess is the slider has been crap all spring so today he was told to work on it regardless of the results. Unfortunately, it was crap and he gets beat up. Saying that, I really would like to see more swing and miss on the fastball up. Let's hope his next few starts they let him pitch with his strengths but if his breaking stuff doesn't improve, he may need to work on that in Norfolk and allow Wells or Voth start off in the rotation.

Really surprised by Johnson doing his best Hunter impression with that comment. He usually is a guy who will tell it like it is, but that was a ridiculous comment. Not sure how you can say you liked what you saw when he cant get out of the 4th inning against the major leaguers. The Red Sox hitters were not very fooled by anything really and his 4th inning was an embarrassment. Something doesn't look right honestly. I hope it's just that he's slow starter, but he looks a lot like the guy who came back after the oblique last year. That guy couldn't find his breaking pitches very often and was getting hit in the zone. Its just spring training, but there is no way I'm feeling good about him starting the year in the Orioles rotation throwing like this.

I will say this about Grayson Rodrigues, anyone who thinks he absolutely is ready for the big leagues is not watching him this spring. In the 3rd and 4th innings, he literally had no feel for his breaking pitches, the slider was crap, and his command of anything was not good. The worse thing is when he gets in the zone, he's getting hit very hard. It's pretty clear they want him working on his breaking pitches (I didn't see one changeup which is best offspeed pitch) because they are not very good. When you add in how hard he was hit in his last appearance, and the fact that the Orioles get the advantage long term if they send him to the minors for a bit, and he very well may be pitching himself of this team.

I have to agree. I think Bradish is more of a lock than Grayson though I think they both will be in the rotation. Wells is going to the pen where he probably fits best anyways.

McKenna has several things going for him that would make it hard for him to not make the team. 1) He's the best defensive CF on the team not named Mullins 2) He may be the 2nd fastest player o the team behind Mateo which makes him a good PR late in games. 3) With Mullins, Stowers, Vavra and Frazier left-handed, he makes for a good handicap as a right-handed hitter late in games. I do see some of your points, but I think they want that right-handed CF/5th outfielder and the only competition for him was Daz Cameron who has not hit well this spring.

You know it's because it takes a certain amount of innings and PAs to get players ramped up to be ready for the season and that players don't play in every game. Sure, players can get hurt and do get hurt in spring training, but the chances of getting hurt playing at 100% in games that feel like they have meaning, plus celebrations, certainly ups the odds.

Absolutely. The WBC "supporters" are like "injuries happen," "could of happened to anyone," "it's no big deal," "it's a freak injury," but if we had just lost our catcher for the year because of some dumb exhibition tournament they would be up in arms. The injury risk and pitchers potentially not getting the work they need to be ready for the season are the two biggest issues I have with the WBC in the spring time. I get it that people enjoy watching baseball, I do too, but they really need to find a way to not affect the regular season and if I'm a team owner, I'm putting in clauses that preclude them from playing in the WBC if it stays in the spring time.

This is such a simple and correct take that I don't see how anyone can disagree. The intensity of players "playing for real" vs spring training is much different. Players are human and competitors at the highest level, so when you start telling them they are "playing for their country" they are going to play for real and clearly celebrations are a part of that. I would be able to enjoy the WBC if it were after the season, not before, and even then, I really would not want my top pitchers or prospects participating if they had reached their pitching limit for the year.

I 100% agree with you. If I'm signing a big time player that integral to the success of my team, I don't want him playing for ANY other team, including these made up WBC teams. I do think season ending injuries to major stars could certainly make teams consider adding clauses moving forward. Remember, MLB wants this because it's a money maker and they think other countries will get into baseball more. The WBC should be right after the World Series, not right before the baseball season. It makes my skin crawl to say this, but I agree with Scherzer on that piece. The games would mean more because players are not in "spring training mode." This is especially true with starting pitchers who can only throw so many pitches in these games. Diaz's injury was a freak injury (though I hope it stops these ridiculous crazy celebrations where players jump up and down and beat each other silly during walk offs/wins), so they may shrug it off, but I know if Diaz was the Orioles closer I'd be furious too.

The more I watched Ortiz last season the more it was obvious how good he had gotten once he regained his strength. I went round and round about him and while I'm still not ready to say he's the 4th best prospect, I will say he very well COULD be. I'd love to see him up in the big leagues this year, sooner than later if he gets off to a good start. I personally think he's better player than Mateo and Frazier right now.

Perhaps. I'm sure they are higher on Povich than Rom.

Ok, everything I said but in past tense.

I do think the Orioles think highly of Poovich, but the amount of innings is more about preparing him for his minor league season as a starter. When his games start in the minor league camp, he'll get reassigned.

I think you are reading way too hard into an innocuous comment by Hyde during an innocuous spring training interview.

I do think O'Hearn may have the most upside with the bat of the guys in the comp, but he's defensively limited. Both Vavra and Lester are more versatile with the ability to play 2B, 3B and corner outfield as well as 1B (Vavra doesn't play 1B, but probably could in a pinch). If they think Santander can back up 1B effectively, they really have no need for a 1B type anyways. Now it's just a matter or versatility and what kind of bat you wanna bring off the bench.

More importantly with the Orioles limited funds, cheaper. It's not that the $1.4 million is going to stop the Orioles from doing something most likely, but why? I don't want to drag this into a Frazier convo, but Elias acknowledges he has a budget to stay within but spend $9.4 million on Frazier and O'Hearn, yet neither would probably make this team if all things were equal with contracts/player control, etc. Just a waste of resources on my opinion. O'Hearn has had a nice spring and he very well may end up with some time with the Orioles this year. Heck, his EVs suggest he might have some success if they don't employ the shift, but he's a defensively limited left-handed 1B, corner outfield and the glut of those guys in camp on minor league deals says that's not a hard skill set to find.

The fact that we have a Lester/Cordero/Mazara/O'Hearn/Diaz/Vavra competition just highlights why you don't select O'Hearn off waivers and have to guarantee him $1.4 million even after DFAing him.

His spring speed is good, but he's at a 3 percentile for OOA out there so although he has foot speed, it doesn't really translate into range out there.

It appears the 13th spot battle is coming down to Vavra vs Lester. Both have hit pretty well overall. Lester can back up Urias at 3B and Mountcastle at 1B while Vavra plays more of 2B and LF (Lester has some minor league 2B experience) though he's been playing some 3B this spring. Lester does have some corner outfield experience as well, but not much. Vavra probably has the advantage because he's on the 40-man and Lester is on a minor league contract. Lester to me is a left-handed hitting Nevin with a little more pop. We probably have to looks at the depth chart at each position they play. 1B: Mountcastle (R), McCann (R), Santander (S), Rutschman (S) 2B: Frazier (L), Urias (R) 3B: Henderson (L), Urias (R) LF: Hays (R), (McKenna), Stowers (L), Frazier (L) RF: Stowers (L), Santander (S), McKenna (R), Frazier (L) DH: Santander (S), Rutschman (S), Stowers (L) Starters that need to be pinched hit for late in games in key situations: Mateo, McCann if he starts. This means your bench guy needs to bat left-handed. So both Vavra and Lester bat left-handed and Lester has more experience at 3B and Vavra has more experience at 2B and LF. Lester is the only one that has experience at 1B. So for me, the Orioles have this choice for their 13th position: Vavra: Brings more OBP ability and a little more speed late in games. Lester: Brings more pop off the bench and could fill in at 1B or 3B against tough righties if the Orioles want to bench Urias and/or Mountcastle. For me, I think Vavra fits better as a bat, but Lester's ability to play 1B and 3B as a left-handed handicap for Urias and Mountcastle may fit better on the roster. Saying that, Vavra is on the 40-man roster and Lester is not so I think Vavra has the advantage.

Josh Lester plays 3B as well as 1B. The other "candidates" play a slow corner outfield as well as 1B.

Updated through todays game and cuts!

Ortiz never played again after going on concussion protocol after taking a ball off his face/head during a fielding drill. Hopefully this will not limit him at the beginning of the regular season.

Yeah, one inning is not going to give the Orioles pause. Such a strange take.

Why Donta Williams? He's a speedy short guy who is a good defensive outfielder with a limited bat and almost no power. Seems to be a strange convert to 1B.